Seattle Seahawks RB Marshawn Lynch has decided to return to the NFL and has agreed to a new contract with the Seahawks, a source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
The one-year deal is worth $11 million, including a $1 million base salary, a $9 million signing bonus and a $1 million roster bonus, a source told ESPN’s John Clayton.
Lynch was reportedly on his way to Seattle on Friday, where he will meet with Seahawks owner Paul Allen and is expected to sign the deal.
Lynch is coming off a season that ended with him not getting the ball in a goal-line situation, a play that resulted in a game-sealing interception for the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLIX.
“To be honest with you, I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that I was expecting the ball,” Lynch said in an interview with a Turkish sports network. “Yes, I was expecting the ball. But in life, these things happen. Like I told a reporter after the game, it’s a team sport.”
Nicknamed “Beast Mode,” Lynch has rushed for no less than 1,200 yards in each of his past four seasons with the Seahawks and has been instrumental in the franchise’s appearance in consecutive Super Bowls.
While his ability and durability have made him a star, Lynch has also become known for his lack of interest in dealing with the media. In mandatory media sessions during Super Bowl week this past season, Lynch often repeated the same phrase over and over again, including “I’m just here so I won’t get fined,” which he is attempting to trademark.